Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-04-01

! BANGOR. March 81.
Inc following special was received Tbur.
day, from the city editor of the Oakland
CAL, Tribune:
OAKLAND, CAL, March 80.
Inc arrest of Calvin P. Graves. the mur.
oerer OF the game wardens, Charles Nile.
ana Lyman y. Hill, in faraway Maine, has
caused considerable talk in this CITY. OF
course, we know but little regarding the cir.
cumstances connected with the shooting and
with Graves escape, but that he should be
caught here. so long afterwards. is another
illustration of the efficiency of the mail, in
bringing criminals to justice Graves is now
reposing here in Jail, very quietly, and sees
lew outside persons. He is, however. free
10 talk with his visitors and takes matters
very cooly
When Graves came to California, in the
early part of the winter, he went to Los
Angeles, and then very naturally left for
Anaheim, which has the reputation through
out the State OF being the quietest town in
southern California 1t is little place of
l2oo inhabitants, 2S miles south of Los
Angeles, and in the valley of Santa Anna.
The inhabitants are chiefly Germans and
sour krout predominant. The people are a
well-to-do set and raise great quantities of
grapes for wine and raisins. Oranges are
also raised The Planters Hotel is in the
town, and Graves found work there, where
he acted as porter and general man of all
work. This is a cheap house and very little
patronized and so quiet that Graves thought
1t would be very safe hiding place There
Is no doubt but that it would have been, but
he was not contented to stay there. He
made frequent visits to Oakland, five hun
dred miles away, thinking it would be the
right place to mail and receive letters, as he
was located so many miles from there.
March 9th he came and walked into the
Eureka Hotel, stepped up to the register and
slowly traced the name Of John T. Smith.
The police had been informed by John Y.
Fairbanks of Oakland, that Smith, or Graves,
"oNio VIC iihCIN " CdLl at the pOstOllCS IOT
letters, so for three weeks they haunted the
government building, and finally their pa.
tience was rewarded; for last week he stepped
into the office one day and inquired for let
tiers tor John T. Smith,
AS soon as they were delivered to him (for
there were more than one) he was arrested
and lodged in Jail, when the officers went to
the hotel and found his valise. 1t contained
beyond question. 1t also contained copy
of the Portland Argus in which was printed a
report Of the trail of Mcfarland. This had
been mailed to him from Portland, and it in
dicated that it had been carefully read.
Another letter was found in the valise
written in cipher. From a key, which was
also in the valise, the letter could be read. 1t
commenced, Dear Brother WILL" and gave
an account of his doings since he escaped
from Maine. Graves was seen and inter-
viewed by representative of our paper. He
said he could not in any way account for his
being traced. He thought that he had worked
relatives, wovld ever be able to hear where
he was.
He is confident that somebody has be-
tray ed him, but who he cannot tell. He con-
fesses the homicide and in telling the story
OF the affair, constantly asserts that Inc whole
act was committed in self defence. He new
er would have left Maine, he says, if he had
thought that the feeling in Washington coun.
ty was as he has since learned, but he thought
that he would be lynched by the mob il he
remained there and gave himself up.
he seriously considered the question Of
standing trial, but thought that the people
would be SO nfuI lated that they would at
once string him up. Now that the affair is
all all over and the people have all cooled
down, he says that he is perfectly willing
and ready to go back and stand trial. He
has kept closely shaved from the day he left
Maine, but the rest of the description as for
warded here by the Bangor authorities, hts
him perfectly. Our officers had no trouble
in getting him at all, but wanted to wait un-
til they were sure he had letters which would
|
fully establish his identity. Graves arrest
was made very quietly.
Your correspondent is advised from Han
cock county, that the friends ard relatives of
Graves, while feeling badly over his capture,
are determined to make hard fight in the
courts, and declare the act was done in self
defence, and have letters written by Graves
giving a description of the whole affair
The reward for his capture undoubtedly
belongs here in Oakland. If the offering OF
il. as sent here, was correct, this will be set
tied with very little difficulty.
BANGOR, March 81.
Washington county men say there is
strong feeling that Graves was forced into
fybt and that Mcfarland will change his
story at the time OF the next trial.
A reporter who visited Graves home SAID
that at the request of her father, Mrs. Graves
reaa aloud the dispatch from Oakland to the
oAec, that her husband admitted that he was
the man wanted, and as she did so manifest
ed no more apparent feeling than she would
have done had it related to some common
business matter of the family. She said it
,vos a moor place to come to for news, as she
60 telI and that she had no idea as